Page 19 of Blake University HBCU Chronicles: Azari & Chozen

“ N oah Brooks Charles said you needed the results stat. We should know them within a few hours. You can go to lunch and just chill out for a while. When you come back at two, we will have the results of your scan and blood tests.”

I nodded nervously as Chozen held my hand.

We were at Doctor Kumin’s office in Cove City.

His office wasn’t far from the campus. I didn’t have class today and neither did Chozen.

I was only taking three classes because I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep up.

He was only taking two classes since he was part-time.

RJ had allowed him the week off, once again, while they were here.

Having Chozen in my life, despite my initial doubts, was the best decision I had ever made. He was indeed chosen for me by God.

As we left, he grabbed my hand and kissed it. When I looked up at him, he was smiling. “What are you smiling at?” I asked as he opened the car door for me.

“Because I just know that those tests will come out in your favor. You were supposed to start those chemo meds today, but God. You look to be feeling better than you have since I met you. I love that, baby.”

“I love it too. I have you to thank for that. God, I’m so grateful for you.”

He smiled at me and closed the door. I slowly shook my head, trying to figure out why God chose me to bless in this manner.

The plans for the house he planned to build for us had caught me by surprise.

The home was gorgeous on paper, so I could imagine just how beautiful it would be once it was built.

It would have four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a game room, huge kitchen, dining area, and a three-car garage.

I didn’t realize until the other day that Chozen had two vehicles.

He drove the car when he was picking me up because he knew I would have trouble getting into his SUV.

I didn’t ride in his SUV until yesterday, although I had noticed it in his garage when we went to his place.

He gave me access to drive either vehicle whenever I needed to.

He made me laugh when he said it was time to send my car to that junkyard in the sky.

Once he got inside, he cranked the engine then asked, “Where to?”

I smiled as I thought for a moment. “You wanna go to the steakhouse? I know you enjoy a good steak.”

He twisted his mouth to the side. “But you don’t. You’re only going to eat pasta.”

“I’m going to eat a steak this time. Protein is good for me. That was probably part of my problem. I wasn’t getting enough of it.”

“That could be an issue, at least with the fatigue you were feeling. I don’t think you were too low, though, or you would have had hair loss and dry skin. This skin ain’t nowhere near dry,” he said as he slid his finger down my arm.

A chill slithered up my spine. We hadn’t had sex since Friday, and I missed him. While his family was in town, we weren’t getting in until late. Plus, I wasn’t feeling that great before they arrived. After our day was over, I definitely needed to feel him, regardless of what the results would be.

“What are you thinking about, baby?”

“Making love to you.”

“Mm. What about it?”

“I need to feel you tonight. I know we’ve been busy the past couple of days with family. I know your aunt and uncle are still here, but I feel like I’m about to go into withdrawals.”

His eyebrows lifted as a smile graced his lips. “Damn, baby. You addicted?”

“A full-blown addict. You’re telling me you aren’t?”

“I’m not telling you that at all. I’m just glad to know that we’re both junkies, and I’m not in this shit alone.”

I laughed. He leaned over and kissed my lips, then took off for the steakhouse. “Remember you told me not to ever hold back my feelings?” I asked.

“Yep.”

“Well, that goes for you too. It’s okay for you to tell me how much you miss making love to me, even when I don’t feel well. It lets me know just how much you need me, and it motivates me to do what I need to do to feel better.”

“I didn’t want it to seem like I was being insensitive, baby.

You weren’t feeling too well. So I wanted to wait for you to say when you wanted me again.

The last thing I want is for you to do something simply to please me when you aren’t feeling up to it.

You’ve been going through a lot. I just wanted to make sure you were in as least pain as possible.

Don’t take my silence as me withholding my emotions, wants, or needs.

Everything I do is because you and your well-being are at the forefront of my mind. I love you that much.”

“Are you trying to make me cry? I’ve cried more happily emotional tears since meeting you than I have my entire life. I’ve only cried happy tears once before meeting you, and that was when Xavier was born.”

He chuckled. “I’m happy that my words and actions bring you that much happiness then, baby.”

When he pulled into the parking lot of STK Steakhouse, he licked his lips.

“You that hungry, Chozen? You’re licking your lips.”

“Girl, I can taste that steak already. I’m starving. You aren’t?”

I giggled. “Yes, I am.”

He smiled then got out to help me out. I couldn’t wait for the time to pass, because I needed those results quick, fast, and in a hurry.

I needed them to put me out of my misery.

Not knowing drove me batshit crazy and had my anxiety levels through the roof.

Thankfully, Chozen had me distracted from it.

He opened my door and helped me from my seat. “I’m glad that you can walk faster now. I need to get in here before the crowd.”

I slowly shook my head as we damn near powerwalked to the entrance. There was no way Chozen was as hungry as he was portraying. We ate breakfast, and it was only eleven thirty. When we walked inside, he went to the hostess and said, “Reservations for Chozen Scott.”

My eyebrows lifted. He’d made reservations? How had he made reservations when he didn’t know if this would be the restaurant I picked? He glanced at me with a smirk on his lips. The hostess led us to a table, and shortly after, a man placed a bouquet of roses right in the center.

“Chozen, how did you do this? What if I would have said Olive Garden or wanted to eat on campus?”

“Then I would have canceled the reservation. We weren’t supposed to be here until noon, but since they had availability, they seated us right away. That’s why the flowers were late getting to the table.”

My eyebrows scrunched together. I swore I had the most thoughtful man in the world.

The way he catered to me was foreign territory for me.

It probably was for him, too, since he said he’d never felt so strongly about someone.

Just that he knew how to be sensitive and thoughtful, although he’d never had to be, was proof that he was raised right.

Mr. Carrington had clearly taught him well.

“Wow. Thank you.”

That was all I could verbalize. If I said anything more, I would be crying all over again.

The waitress appeared and took our drink orders.

Once she left, I picked up the menu to see what I would be getting.

While I wanted to try a steak, that pasta was calling my damn name.

I could feel Chozen’s eyes on me, so I lifted mine to his.

His lips were twisted to the side, causing me to laugh.

“Fine,” I said, dropping the menu to the table. “Since you don’t believe I was going to order a steak, I’ll just get the pasta I got last time.”

He laughed loudly, nearly choking. I couldn’t help but laugh right along with him. “Uh-huh. Yo’ ass wanted that pasta anyway. I knew you would cave. Don’t make it seem like you’re only getting it because that was what I expected you to do.”

He laughed more, causing me to do the same. This was perfect. I had a man I could love without bounds, and when the time was right, I would let him know it.

When we got back to the doctor’s office, my nerves were on one thousand. Chozen held my hand and could definitely tell how nervous I was by the constant tremble surging through it.

“Baby, you have to try to calm down. I understand your anxiety, but I don’t want you to pass out from it. Look at me.”

I lifted my head and stared into his eyes. “Take deep breaths. We gon’ do it together.”

I nodded and began mimicking him. I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling him lift my hand and kiss it.

My nerves were calming. When I reopened my eyes, he smiled at me.

“So next weekend is the homecoming game. They gon’ have all kinds of shit going on next week.

What are we going to attend? I know for sure we should do the parade.

X would love that. We can make it a family affair.

I think Aunt Candace will still be here, but that will be her last weekend. ”

“I think I want to attend as much as possible, even the step shows. They used to get on my nerves, but I think that was because I wasn’t feeling well.

It caused my mood to be horrible and me to be less tolerant.

Now that I’m feeling better, I want to experience it all.

Of course, we have to take time to study for this test we have coming up. ”

“Absolutely. Studying comes first, although I think we have that in the bag. The material seems to come easy for both of us.”

“Yeah.”

I knew he was trying to distract me, but his efforts were in vain as soon as the nurse called my name for me to head to the back.

I practically sprinted back there. The nurse smiled brightly and led us to a private room for us to wait yet again.

My leg was bouncing nervously. Chozen grabbed my chin, turning my face to him, and kissed the anxiety right out of my ass.

When his tongue slid to mine, I knew there was no way I could continue feeling nervous.

It felt like his tongue was caressing every nerve in my body.

When he pulled away from me, he bit his bottom lip. “Damn, girl. I almost got carried away in here.”

He tried to push his dick down in his pants, but there was no way he could hide that shit.

I chuckled softly as there was a knock at the door.

Chozen leaned over, resting his elbows on his knees to try to hide his erection.

I chuckled again as the doctor entered, along with a nurse.

The doctor slid his hand down his face, and that shit scared me. He looked perplexed.

“So, Miss Michaels, I went over the tests done at Doctor Fleming’s office, to see if I came up with the same diagnosis they did.

Looking at the tests we conducted, I thought maybe there was a misinterpretation somewhere.

None of our tests or blood work show cancer.

Your labs were as normal as any other healthy person.

I wanted to believe that they’d misdiagnosed you.

I went through the paperwork and scans you brought in with a fine-toothed comb, and clear as day, it showed you positive for multiple myeloma.

I believe we’ve witnessed something truly miraculous. ”

“Oh my God!” I hopped up from my seat and paced back and forth with my hands in the air. “Thank you, Jesus!”

The doctor had a huge smile on his face as did Chozen. He stood from his seat and pulled me in his arms. He hugged me tightly and said, “Thank You, Jesus. Thank You, Lord, for using Noah.”

When I pulled away from him, I wiped my eyes and sat back in my seat.

While I knew God was able to heal me, this moment was unbelievable.

God’s grace and mercy was real. I would forever be a witness to that.

I’d been walking around with multiple myeloma and had even gotten my leg amputated because of it.

Had he read their tests and said they had misread it, I would have been pissed.

However, to know that they had read it correctly, there was nothing else this miraculous healing could be attributed to. There was no other way to explain it.

“So what now?” I asked the doctor when I was able to contain my emotions.

He smiled big. “We see you again in six months to retest. I’m speechless, Miss Michaels. I have never witnessed anything like this. You must definitely be one of God’s favorites.”

He shook my hand as the nurse swiped tears away from her cheeks. She sanitized her hands then shook my hand as well. Once they walked out, I hugged Chozen again and cried into his chest. This was a dream come true. God was so good. When I pulled away from him, we stood from our seats.

“The weight I’d been carrying is gone, baby. Now I’m free of fear, . . . the fear of loving someone only for one of us to be taken away.”

He licked his lips. “What are you saying to me, baby?”

“I love you, Chozen.”

He closed his eyes as a smile graced his lips.

“I didn’t say it back because I was afraid.

I fell in love with you too. While I was trying to convince myself I was all in with you, I was allowing fear to hinder me.

It was stealing my joy. I couldn’t be one hundred percent free.

God’s grace saved me. I love you so much, Chozen.

In a short amount of time, you’ve given me the world through your care and love.

I thank God for you and your family. God used all of you to bless me beyond measure. ”

“I love you, too, Azari. I love you with my soul, baby.”

I grabbed his hand, and we left out of the room on a high like no other.

This life was worth living. It was worth living before, but having Chozen made it blissful.

After receiving an appointment card for my next visit, we made our way to the car.

Once inside, Chozen turned to me and said, “We’re going to your place first. I need to feel your walls wrapped around my dick, baby. We have to celebrate immediately.”

“I have no objections. I’m ready to grace ecstasy with my presence multiple times.”

“Hell yeah. Let’s go make that happen.”